1. Field of the Invention
The present inventive concept relates generally to medical instruments, and more particularly, to surgical instruments having a multi-purpose tool positioned at a distal end thereof operable to reflect, render, and size a surgical site so that visibility and safety are enhanced during an arthroscopic or laparoscopic surgical procedure.
2. Description of the Related Art
Arthroscopic surgery is a minimally invasive surgical procedure during which an interior portion of the human body, for example an interior of a joint, is examined or operated on using an arthroscope. An arthroscope is a type of endoscope or miniature camera operable to be inserted into the joint via a small incision to enable a surgeon to view the joint and perform a surgical operation without fully opening the joint. Although arthroscopic procedures may be performed on virtually any part of the human body, joints of the wrist, elbow, shoulder, hip, knee, ankle, and foot are most commonly examined and operated on.
During general arthroscopic procedures, the surgeon is required to make as few as two incisions to perform an arthroscopic examination or an arthroscopic operation. In such procedures, the surgeon may examine the joint to make a diagnosis by making an incision and inserting the arthroscope, which transmits a real-time image of the joint area to a video monitor. In this manner, the surgeon is able to diagnose, for example, torn joint tissue such as ligaments and menisci or cartilage. To perform an arthroscopic operation, the surgeon may make another incision adjacent to the arthroscope and insert a surgical instrument to be used in coordination with the arthroscope. In this manner, the surgeon is able to perform the operation to, for example, repair torn joint tissue. Although undesirable, it may be necessary for the surgeon to make additional incisions for the arthroscope and/or surgical instrument to, for instance, obtain another perspective of a joint.
Surgical instruments used in arthroscopic surgery are elongated and smaller than traditional surgical instruments, have a distal-working end to perform a function, such as proving, shaving, and drilling, and may be connected to a drive motor with a power source. While some arthroscopic surgical instruments, such as a probe, do not require power, other instruments, such as a shaver, are usually connected to a drive motor with power source. Power sources are generally electric or pneumatic and, upon connection of the instrument to the drive motor, permit a portion of the instrument to be driven, for example, in an oscillating or reciprocating manner.
Conventional shavers generally include an inner-rotatable shaft that is substantially enclosed by an outer-stationary shaft. A window at a distal end of the outer-stationary shaft exposes a toothed end of the inner-rotatable shaft, which defines a working end of the shaver. A conventional arthroscopic shaver is disclosed in U.S. Patent Publication No. 2006/0259055 to Thorne, the entire contents of which is herein incorporated by reference in its entirety.
Although conventional arthroscopic instruments and techniques have generally improved over time, such still suffer from various limitations. For instance, area surrounding and along a joint is extremely confined, which limits visibility of the joint. If the surgeon is unable to adequately view the joint via the arthroscope, the surgeon may decide to withdraw the arthroscope, make another incision, and reinsert the arthroscope to obtain a better perspective of the joint. Such is undesirable for at least the reasons that additional incisions and/or manipulation of the arthroscope and surgical instruments increase trauma to a patient, lengthen the time period required of the surgical procedure, which elevate the risks associated with the surgical procedure. Often times, surgeons will forego a complete inspection of a joint to avoid making any additional incisions or minimize manipulations, which may cause an injury to the joint, such as a tear, to be left untreated.
An additional limitation of conventional arthroscopic instruments and techniques relate to the inherent two-dimensional nature of real-time images displayed by video monitors during an arthroscopic procedure. Without a third dimension, the surgeon may be unable to fully realize a depth of an object displayed by the video monitor, which may result in an incorrect diagnosis of a joint during an arthroscopic examination or less precise treatment of a joint during an arthroscopic operation.
Accordingly, there is a need for arthroscopic instruments that do not suffer from the limitations of conventional arthroscopic instruments, increase visibility, realization, and safety during use thereof, are versatile to permit use in a wide variety of applications, have a simple design that is easy to use, and does not prolong recovery time or expenses of a patient.